Hem opening device



Jan. 12, 1943. E. E. WEST 2,308,133

HEM OPENING DEVICE Filed July 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l zmmzz new:

Jan. 12, 1943. E, 5 WEST 2,308,133

HEM OPENING DEVICE Filed July 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 97 Shim/Mags Patented Jan. 12, 1943 STES AT a

OFFEC 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hem opening devices for bag stringing machines.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved means for accurately and uniformly forming openings in the ends of a bag hem for the entry of a pair of stringing needles into and through the hems, the means shown herein being an improvement over the hem snaggers of my Patent No. 2,2fl4,622.

A further object is the provision of hem opening means for forming openings in the hems of a bag being strung, directly in the path of the stringing needles to assure of the needles ac-' curately entering into and passing through the hems.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent as the specification is considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved hem opening device and the means for operating the same, showing the hem openers in hem opening position;

Figure 1a is an elevational view of part of the structure of Fig. 1 looking from left to right;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the hem openers after having entered into the bag hems and partially opened the hem for the entry of the needles;

Figure 3 is a side view of one of the pairs of hem openers showing in full and dotted lines the hem opening and inoperative positions respectively;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the hem openers;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the hem openers in the position they assume prior to piercing the ends of the bag hems;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the hem openers after piercing and entering the hems of the bags;

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view of the hem openers in their final position within and spreading open the hems for the needles to enter; and

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a portion of one of the bag holding arms.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral l denotes a bag holding turret head, corresponding, in structure with the turret head of my co-pending application Serial No. 250,223, filed January 10, 1939, for receiving a hemmed bag from the gripping and feeding carriage, described in my co-pending application Serial No. 357,458, filed September 19, 1940, in a horizontal position and for rotating the bag to its several positions or stations, including an upright orvertical stringing and tagging station. The

turret head I is carried by a shaft 2, which is journalled in vertically disposed, spaced brackets, not shown, of a stringing machine frame, also not shown. Four pairs of spaced arms 55, only one pair of which is shown, are radially mounted in the turret head, and serve to support a similar number of hemmed bag blanks 6. When a bag blank 6 has been rotated by the turret head to its vertical position, a pair of draw strings, not shown, are passed through the hems '1 of the bag by a pair of horizontally disposed parallel needles 8 only the heads or tips of which are shown.

With the hemmed bag, arranged on a pair of the bag holding arms 5-5, in position to be strung, it is necessary to form openings in the ends of the hem, below the line of stitching and opposite to and in alignment with the ends of the stringing needles 8. Thus, a pair of opener or snagger bodies 9 are sleeved adjacent their rear ends, as at Iii, on a laterally extending pinv l0 eccentrically mounted on a disc H, in turn eccentrically mounted on a shaft i2, journalled in a bearing block l3. The snagger bodies 9 are also pivoted, adjacent their forward ends, as at Hi, to rock arms it carried by the inner ends of oppositely disposed rods l'il'|' slidably journaled in the bearing block I3 and a second bearing block l8 respectively. These bearing blocks i3 and 18 are suitably fixed to a flat supporting plate 14, mounted on the stringing machine frame, not shown. A curved wedge member [9, having a tapered pointed head 28 on the outer end thereof, is fixed at its other or inner end to shaft I2, as at l9. The slidable rods I1 and i1, and the snagger bodies 9, are normal- 1y pressed inwardly towards the bag to be strung, by means of suitable coil springs 23. These springs are mounted on pins Mi carried by retaining plates M suitably secured to the outer ends of the blocks by bolts 42, whereby the ends of the springs 23 bear against the outer ends of rods H and I1 and serve to normally press the rods I! and I1 and snagger bodies 9 inwardly against each other. The pins 41) serve to limit the movement of the rods I7 and H.

Upon rotation of the wedge member is, in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Figures 1 and 3, the tapered head 20 of member I9 is swung upwardly in an arc and caused to extend between and engage with the opposed, upwardly and inwardly, tapered inner faces 22 of the snagger bodies 9'. The snagger bodies 9 are thus spread apart or separated, against the tension of springs 23, acting on the ends of rods I1 and I1, so that the rods are slidably moved outwardly through the bearing blocks l3 and H3. The outer ends of the snagger bodies 9 are integrally formed with forwardly extending somewhat rounded, relatively sharp snagging and hem piercing points 25, for engaging with and forming openings in the bag hems to permit of the entry of the stringing needles, in a manner presently described. The inner sides of the snagger bodies 9 are flattened, at their forward ends below the points 25, as at 24, which engage the sides of the bag holding arms of each pair 5-5, in advance of the snagger points and serve to line the points up accurately with respect to.

the sides of the arm, should the latter be slightly out of true vertical alignment.

The outer end of shaft l2 carries a, gear 21 which meshes with and is rotated by a'gear 28, fixed on a shaft 29 journalled in a block 26 secured to the underside of fiat plate I4. An arm 35, formed on gear 28, is pivotally connected by a link 3| to the upper end of a vertical lever 32, the lower end of which is pivoted to the base of the machine frame. The lever 32 carries a roller 33, which rides in a cam groove 35 in the face of a cam disk 34, on a longitudinal driven shaft 35, suitably journalled in the machine frame. Rotation of the cam 34, in a clockwise direction viewing Figure 1a, causes the lower gear 28, through the connecting linkage, to be rotated in a clockwise direction whereby the gear 2'! and shaft l2 are rotated in an opposing or counterclockwise direction, viewing Figure 3. This movement of the shaft l2 swings or rocks the disc H and pin H in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Figure 3, whereby the rear ends of the snagger bodies 9 are elevated and the snagger points 25 thereof are swung downwardly and forwardly, in substantially an are about theslidable rods. l'l. Continued rotation of the gears 21-28 causes the tapered head 29, of the curved wedge member l9, to move upwardly between and into engagement with the tapered inner faces 22 of the snagger bodies 9 and thus spread the same apart, as previously described. 7 I

The bag holding arms 5', of each pair of arms 5-5 on the turret head, adjacent to the snaggers 9, are formed with knurled or otherwise roughened face portions 3 on each of the sides .thereof. When a hemmed bag blank 6 is positioned on a pair of bag holding arms 5-5, a

portion of the inner layer 38 of the cloth hem I will be disposed over and will bear against the knurled faces 3 of the arm 5'. If desired, pieces of emery cloth, sandpaper or the like, not shown,

secured by any suitable adhesive to opposite sides of the arms 5', may be substituted for the knurled or roughened faces 3. The snagger points 25 are formed with curved and slightly tapered inner tip portions 26' which initially and frictionally engage the hems 1, when the snaggers 9 are moved upwardly and forwardly in substantially an arc, about their pivots, and press the inner layer 38 of the hems against the roughened faces 3 of the arm 5', so as to prevent the inner layer 38 from slipping or moving relative to this bag holding arm. In other words, the curved portions 28' of the snaggers engage the cloth hem, in advance of and before the snagger points 25 enter the hems. The continued movement of the snagger points 25 causes the curved portions 26' thereon to move or push the outer layer 39 slightly, relative to the fixed inner layer 38, and thereby wrinkle or pucker the outer layer 39, as best shown in Figure 5, so that the snagger points 25 will pierce and enter the wrinkle or pucker in outer layer 39, as illustrated in Figure 6. That is to say, the snagger points 25 do not enter the ends of the bag hems until the outer layer 39 thereof has been wrinkled or puckered, due to the coaction between the curved tip portions 26 of the snagger points 25 and the roughened faces 3 on the bag holding arm 5'. The snaggers are then moved outwardly in opposed directions a relatively short distance, by action of the tapered wedge portion or member 29, which in turn engages with the tapered inner faces 22 of the snagger bodies 9 and forces them apart. Thus,

tions of the bag holding arms.

the snagger points 25, having entered the outer layer 39 of the hems due to the arcuate movement of the bodies 9, are also moved outwardly or laterally in opposed directions, a relatively short distance. This final movement of the snagger points 2 5 spreads or stretches the outer layer 39 of the hems outwardly and thereby tears or snags relatively large openings in, the ends of the hems 1, directly in the path of the pair of parallel, longitudinally disposed, reciprocating, pointed needles 8, only the points or tips of which are shown. The needles 8 are caused, on their forward stroke, to extend into the hem openings, formed by the snagger points 25, and to pass and carry a draw string, not shown, through the hems, between the inner and outer layers 38 and 39 thereof. The needles 8 are preferably sharpened or pointed slightly to one side of and ofiset from the longitudinal axis thereof, as at 43, so that the points are approximately in lin with andaccurately enter the openings formed by the snagger points 25.

Prior to the present invention,-a great per centage of bags leaving the stringing, station Were defective because the hem opening devices or snaggers had a tendency to form openings in and extend through both the outer and inner layers or thicknesses of the bag hems, which resulted in th stringing needles passing through the inside of the bag rather than between the respective layers of the hems. This objectionable action of the snagging points, that is, the

passage thereof through both layers of the hems ging points resulted in the latter forming openings in and passing through the wrinkled portions in both layers of the hems. ,Applicant has discovered that where roughened or serrated portions are provided on the opposing side faces of the bag supporting arms,. underlying and engaging with the inner layers of the hems, the action of the snagger points is such that the outer layer of the bag hems are wrinkled or puckered to receive the snagger points, whereas the pressure of the latter causes certain areas of the inner layer to be flattened against and more or less embedded in the roughened por- Consequently, relative movement of the inner layer with respect to the bag holding arms will be positively prevented and the snaggers will slide freely but 'frictionally over such areas with no danger of openings being formed in the inner layer. It will thus be seen that the simultaneous movement and wrinkling or puckering of both layers, with consequent simultaneous objectional puncturing of both layers, is prevented and, at the same time, the outer layer is free to be stretched or moved by the snaggers, relatively to the fixed inner layer. There is no stretching or movement of the inner layer by the snaggers. It is, therefore, apparent that the snagger points cannot puncture or form openings in the inner layer of the hems so as to allow the stringing needles to pass therethrough. That is to say, the inner layer of the hems is retained in a fixed position on the bag holding arm, by virtue of the roughened portions thereon, and the outer layer is unsecured and free to be stretched or moved by the snagger points to enable the outer layer only to be wrinkled and punctured, Without the danger of openings being formed in the inner layer In other words, the tendency of the snagger points to pucker or stretch and then snag both layers is overcome, insofar as the inner layer is concerned by the action of the snaggers in anchoring the latter to the serrated portions, while permitting free relative movement of the snaggers and the outer layer with respect to the inner layer. The cooperating action of the snaggers and the serrated portions is just suhicient to offset or overcome the tendency of the inner layer to be moved or stretched by the initial action of the snaggers, preparatory to the piercing operation.

AS the needles 8 enter into and pass through the relatively large openings, formed in the outer layers of the hems by the snaggers, it will be apparent that the needles will pass cleanly through the hems without frictionally engaging the same. This is particularly desirable because it prevents or greatly minimizes the possibiiity of the needle points 43 catching in and passing through the side of the hems with consequent failure of the stringing operation. In other words, as the needles pass freely through the openings in the ends of the hems and the latter are stretched or pulled apart by the snagger points 25, as best illustrated in Figure '7, there is nothing in th path of the needles to deflect or cause the same to pass laterally through the side walls of the hems.

After the needles enter the openings in the bag hems, the continued rotation of the cam 34 rocks or rotates the gear 28 in the opposing or counterclockwise direction whereby the gear 21, shaft l2 and disc ll are rotated in a clockwise direction, viewing Figure 3, so that the snagger bodies 8 are swung upwardly and thence downwardly in substantially an arc, of a circle, about their pivots to the dotted line position of Figure 3, and the snagger points 25 are withdrawn from the ends of the hems i. Simultaneously with this movement of the snaggers 9 about their pivots, the tapered wedge member I9, carried by rod 12, is swung downwardly, in substantially an arc, out of wedging engagement with the opposed, inner, tapered, side faces 22 of the snagger bodies 9. The snagger bodies are then slidably moved inwardly, into engagement with each other, by tension of coil springs 23 acting on the outer ends of the rods l1 and IT.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that, in

normal inoperative position, the snagger-bodies 9 extend substantially vertically and slightly forwardly at an angle, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3. During the hem snagging operation, the snaggers are swung upwardly and forwardly, in substantially an arc about their pivots, until the snagger points 25 are disposed on substantially a horizontal plane in alignment with and are caused to enter the bag hems i. The snaggers 9 are then moved outwardly in opposed directions, by the wedge member If), to the full line positions of Figures 3 and '7, thus stretching or pulling the bag hems and forming the relatively large needle openings in the hems to permit of the entry of the needles therethrough. As previously described, after the needles enter into the hems, the snaggers 9 are swung rearwardly and downwardly, in substantially an arc, to the dotted line position of Figure 3, and the wedge member i9 is moved out of wedging engagement with the tapered inner faces of the snaggers whereby the latter move to their normal position adjacent one another. It will also be noted that the pair of snaggers is rocked or swung upwardly and forwardly, in substantially an arc, whereby the snagging points 25 are first caused to apply a forward directional force to the bag hems I, to form the wrinkles or puckers in the outer layer of the hems, and thence the snaggers move forwardly and downwardly to pierce the hems and finally outwardly to stretch the hems and provide the relatively large openings for the needles to enter. After the needles enter the hems, the snaggers are swung or rocked rearwardly and downwardly to their normal inoperative positions.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred form of my hem openers, it is to be understood that various changes and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for moving said members and the points thereof substantially arcuately into engagement with the ends of one of the bag hems, and means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner faces of the bag hems and cooperating with the hem opening points for wrinkling the ends of one of the bag hems, means for moving the points of said members into and through the wrinkled end portions of said hems, and means movable between and cooperating with said hem opening members for moving said members laterally relative to each other to stretch said hems and to form relatively large openings in the hems to permit of the entry of the stringing needles into and through the hems.

2. In a device of the character described the combination of means for substantially vertically positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of substantially parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for eccentrically moving said members and the points thereof substantially arcuately into engagement with the ends of one of the bag hems, and substantially roughened means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner faces of the bag hems and cooperating'with the inner faces of "the bag hems and cooperating with the hem opening points for causing the outer hems to be wrinkled, said points being adapted to be moved by .bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a

pair of relatively fiat, substantially parallel, hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for eccentrically moving said members and the points thereof substantially vertically and arcuately into engagement with the ends of one of the bag hems, roughened means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner faces of the bag hems, and curved portions on the points of said opening members engaging with and pushing the bag hems against the roughened means whereby the inner faces of the bag hems are retained in position by said roughened means and the outer faces thereof move relative to said inner faces to form wrinkles in the ends of one of the bag hems, and substantially vertical means movable between and cooperating with said hem opening members for moving said members laterally relative to each other to stretch the hems and forming relatively large openings in the hems for the needles to enter.

4. In a device of the character described the combination of bag holding arms for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of relatively fiat, substantially vertical parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for eccentrically moving said members and the points thereof substantially vertically and arcuately into engagement with the ends of one of the bag hems, roughened faces on one of the bag holding arms adjacent said opening members engageable with the inner faces of the bag hems, and curved faces on the points of said opening members engaging with the bag hems and pushing the inner faces thereof against the roughened faces whereby the inner faces of the bag hems are retained in a fixed position by said roughened faces and the outer faces thereof freely move relative to said inner faces to form Wrinkles in the ends of one of the bag hems, and substantially vertical cam means movable between and cooperating with said hem opening members for moving'said members laterally relative to each other to stretch the hems and forming relatively large openings in the hems for the needles to enter.

5. In a device of the character described the combination of a pair of bag holding arms for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of relatively flat substantially parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for eccentrically moving said members and the points thereof substantially arcuately into frictional engagement with and wrinkling the ends of one of the bag hems relative to one of said holding arms, and substantially flattened faces formed on said members and spaced from the points thereof for engaging with one of the bag holding arms in advance of the points whereby said points are aligned with said arm, and means for moving the points of said members into the wrinkled bag hems to form openings for the needles to enter.

6. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of supports, a pair of substantially vertical, parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being pivotally mounted on said supports, a plate eccentrically mounted on one of said supports, said hem opening members being eccentrically mounted on said plate, and means for rotating said plate whereby said hem opening members are successively moved substantially vertically in an arcuate direction into engagement with and wrinkling the bag hems, relative to the bag positioning means, thence substantially forwardly to form openings in the wrinkled hems, and finally moving said members forwardly and outwardly ,'for stretching said hems and openings to enable the needles to pass freely into the openings and through the hems.

7. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of spaced supports, a pair of relatively flat, substantially vertical parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being pivotally mounted on said supports, an eccentric plate rotatably mounted on one of said supports, said hem opening members being eccentrically mounted on said plate, and a member carried by said plate adapted to move between and engage with said hem opening members for moving said members laterally, and means for rotating said plate whereby said hem opening members are successively moved substantially vertically in an arcuate direction into engagement with and wrinkling the bag hems relative tothe bag positioning means, thence substantially forwardly to form openings in the wrinkled hems, and finally forwardly and laterally in opposed directions for stretching said hems and openings to enable the needles to pass freely into the openings and through the hems.

8. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of spaced supports having rods journalled therein, a pair of relatively flat, substantially vertical parallel hem opening members pivoted to said rods and having points thereon, said members being pivotally mounted on said supports, an eccentric plate rotatably mounted on one of said supports, said hem opening members being eccentrically mounted on said plate, and a curved wedge shaped member carried by said plate adapted to move between and engage with the opposing side faces of said hem opening members for moving said members laterally, and means for rotating said plate whereby said hem opening members are successively moved substantially vertically in an arcuate direction into engagement with and wrinkling the bag hems relative to the bag positioning means, thence substantially forwardly to form openings in the wrinkled hems, and finally forwardly and laterally in opposed directions for stretching said hems and openings to enable the needles to pass freely into the openings and through the hems.

9. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of pivotally mounted hem opening members having points thereon adapted to engage with the outer layer of the bag hems, means for pivotally moving the points of said members into engagement with the ends of the outer layer of the bag hems, and roughened anchoring means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner layer of the hems, and means on the points of said hem opening members for engaging with the outer layer of the hems and pressing and flattening the inner layer against and in intimate contact with said anchoring means to prevent movement of the inner layer, whereby the continued movement of the hem opening points moves the outer layer of the hems over and relative to the flattened inner layer to first provide wrinkles in said outer layer and to form openings in said wrinkles to permit of the entry of the stringing needles into and through the hems.

10. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of pivotally mounted hem opening members having points thereon adapted to engage with the outer layer of the bagrhems, means for pivotally moving the points of said members substantially arcuately into engagement with the ends of the outer layer of the bag hems, and roughened anchoring means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner layer of the hems, and means on the points of said hem opening members for engaging with the outer layer of the hems and pressing and flattening the inner layer against and in intimate contact with said roughened anchoring means to prevent movement of the inner layer, whereby the continued movement of the hem opening points moves the outer layer of the hems over and relative to the flattened inner layer to first provide wrinkles in said outer layer and to form openings in said wrinkles to permit of the entry of the stringingneedles into and through the hems.

11. In a device of the character described the combination of means for positioning a hemmed bag for stringing, a pair of stringing needles, a pair of relatively flat substantially parallel hem opening members having points thereon, said members being eccentrically mounted and means for eccentrically moving said members and the points thereof substantially arcuately into engagement with the ends of the outer layer of the bag hems, and roughened anchoring means on said bag positioning means engageable with the inner layer of the hems, and means on the points of said hem opening members for engaging with the outer layer of'the hems and pressing and flattening the inner layer against and in intimate contact with said roughened anchoring means to prevent movement of the inner layer, whereby the continued arcuate movement of the hem opening points moves the outer layer of the hems over and relative to the flattened inner layer to first provide wrinkles in said outer layer and to form openings in said wrinkles to permit of the entry of the stringing needles into and through the hems.

EDWARD E. WEST. 

